Honolulu Dental Clinic

　It is a known fact that a person’s personality and way of thinking is greatly influenced by their parents, friends, and type of environment in which they grew up. Dr. Sato has experienced a somewhat unique background, and his thoughts on dentistry and the way he practices are directly reflected upon his upbringing and international experiences.

　Born in the city of Morioka in the prefecture of Iwate located in the northeastern part of Japan, Dr. Sato moved to Portland, Oregon at the age of 3. His parents were both physicians, with his father being active in the research field of medicine, and his mother on the clinical side. Through his father’s upbringing, Dr. Sato was always curious as to the “why” and “how” certain matters did what they did, while his mother influenced him as to the “what” and “when” certain procedures should be used in our daily lives.

　Dr. Sato took these fundamental traits passed on by his parents and applied them into the field of dentistry. Through his personal years of research, teaching, and clinical practice, he believes that it is always important to know and understand the concept of “Evidence-based Dentistry” from a scientific viewpoint in order to achieve good results. At the same time, he understands that in reality there exist many barriers preventing the dentist to proceed with the “ideal” treatment plan A. Thus, it is important to be able to predict, explain and fully communicate to the patient the risks involved when choosing plan B.

　Being educated in Japan and America, and receiving dental licenses from both countries, Dr. Sato has the unique advantage of analyzing a dental case using experiences learned from both worlds. He is not only fluent in both languages, but also understands the concerns and thoughts of the Japanese and English speaking patients. This bilingual ability to be able to explain to the patients their current dental situation and needs is critical for good mutual communication. Dr. Sato stresses the importance that one of the traits of a good dentist is to be not just a “technician,” but also an “educator.” The patient and other specialists involved in the treatment plan must all know what needs to be done, why it needs to be done, and how it is going to be done in order to achieve success.